January '26

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 HAPPY NEW YEAR!


If you are new to our blog, welcome!  I introduce myself here and tell a little piece of my story.  Please feel free to check it out!  

If you are back for another year of devotions, welcome back!  I am so glad you're here again and I look forward to journeying with you through more paintings and scriptures.  You encourage me so much!


"The eye is the lamp of the body.  So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!  No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money." - Matthew 6:22-24

If you've ever studied owls, you know they are crazy cool creatures.  When I was a kid my parents would take my brothers & me to nature shows and national parks.  I distinctly remember my middle brother holding an Eastern Screech Owl named Frankie.  He was probably about 6 inches tall- similar to the owl in this picture:

https://aptv.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/kyimg.sci.life.birds7/eastern-screech-owl/


Owls are nocturnal birds of prey.  Their large eyes and wide pupils work with their ears to allow them to find prey.  Unlike humans, their eyes do not move within the eye socket.  Instead they have unique neck bones and arteries that allow them to turn their head in any direction they choose.  Their wings are built for sneaking up on prey as they make no sound when hunting.


So what in the world does all this owl talk have to do with Matthew 6?

The eyes...

"The eyes are the lamp of the body.  So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

Where are your eyes looking?  Are your eyes healthy or are they full of darkness?

I struggle with this concept a lot.  It is so easy to let myself get caught up in a tangled web of worry that my eyes are no longer fixed upon Jesus.  A single flame can light up a room of darkness, so also God's Spirit can dwell inside of us and bring light to any darkness we carry.

Jesus continues, "no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and money."

It is not a coincidence that Jesus talks about being filled with light and serving God at the same time.  It is not a coincidence that He speaks of being filled with darkness and serving money in the same breath.

For me, the question that rises up with these comparisons is, "Where are you placing your trust?"

I have a confession to make.  I really struggle with worry when it comes to finances.  It is hard for me to put my trust in Jesus when money is tight.  I can so easily let myself spiral with worry about finances.  Speaking from experience, let me gently point out that putting our eyes on something other than Jesus is miserable.  

The owl has everything it needs to survive.  What would happen to the owl population if they decided to stop using their eyes?  They would go extinct.   

2 Peter 1 says...


He has given us what we need (even if it doesn't feel like it).  He cleanses us from our sins, seals us with the Holy Spirit and has taught us the way we should go.  What happens to us if we stop using the gifts and promises God has given us?  

This idea of light and dark is something I have been wrestling with for about a year.  I am still struggling to understand the truths that the Holy Spirit is revealing.  1 John 1 speaks to this...


Like the owl that has everything it needs, He has equipped you.  Therefore, stand firm.  (Ephesians 6).



Verses 19-20 are my prayer for all of us this year...
My prayer for us is that whenever we open our mouths we may boldly proclaim the mystery of the gospel.  I pray we may declare it boldly as we should.

His light is there, so near (even to those of us who feel far off).  Use the eyes He has given you to fix your gaze upon Him.  May 2026 be a year that we look back on and say, "yeah, the things of the world grew dim in light of Him."


happy new year

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